The story of 7001
The story behind this bus is probably the Ultimate Fractured Fairy Tale. This particular Flxible was, much like Romeo and Juliet, star-crossed. It was unluckier than someone who trips over a black cat while carrying a mirror after stepping on a crack on Friday the 13th (Tuesday the 13th in Latin America.).
Miami's first batch of 129 Flxible Metros began rolling off the Flxible assembly line in Delaware ,Ohio in June 1987. After that, in September, they left the factory headed for the Magic City....7001 , which was originally the demonstrator bus, left in September but got here in November. You see, as the bus was leaving the factory it blew it's engine. The result, 7002-7129 arrived here and hit the streets over the late summer/ early fall of '87... 7001 spent the end of that miserably hot summer (I remember that summer - I was 7 years old, living in New York, but I spent most of it visiting relatives in Puerto Rico. The mosquitos nearly ate me alive.) cooling it's heels. Essentially, while the other 7000's were running Route 11, 7001 was gathering 11 cobwebs and 11 pounds of dust.
Well, 7001 was finally outfitted with a new engine, and in November of 1987 it roared off for Miami. When it arrived here in Miami it was assigned to Central. At the very beginning all were at Central, but before too long 7002- 7056 went to Coral Way. However, 7001 was sent to Central. It did not see regular city service for a while, however. It was reserved for charters and occasionaly ran on the 95 express.
Before too long, however, 7001 was sent off to Coral Way, finally making a complete set of 56. It was promptly assigned to the 11, as were many of CW's 7000's. It ran on the 11 for a while, until the end abruptly came one dark night in Downtown. It happened either in March 1990 or July of 1994 - 7001 was running on the 11, as usual. It was on NE 1 Street, heading westbound to the Government Center. It was very late, maybe past midnight, and most of the Downtown traffic signals were on flashing yellow or red, including the light at NE 1 Avenue. The bus was rolling along, as 1st Street had the flashing yellows. The avenues has the flashing red, which means drivers have to stop at them. At this point a speeding car ran the light at NE 1 Ave. and 1 St. just as 7001 was entering the intersection. The car slammed into 7001, causing the bus driver to lose control and crash into a building. The car had hit the big Flxible at it's weakest point, which is the front axle. The bus also suffered frame damage. These two factors doomed 7001. It was towed back to CW and junked for parts since it was beyond repair. And thus ends the story of the first 7000.